Meditation or yoga?

[AnahataAnanda]

Namaskaram.
Ive recently begun practicing yoga in the afternoon instead of the morning (Ive found myself really needing more gentle practices in the morning and craving more solar pracitces in the afternoons) and have started thinking that perhaps i might start doing meditation in the morning instead of a gentle yoga practice but the reason im posting is because id love to hear from you. I want to know if meditation on its own is necessary or if a yoga practice is enough. Many Blessings

[Pandara]

Hi Friends,

Long time not seeing you here.

As a kapha predominantly I like to meditate in the morning before 6am and then to follow it after 6am with a nice long power walk or swim. I have found that yoga slows my kapha constitution even further down in the mornings, need something more active to kick start my sluggish metabolism.

I do my yoga in the late afternoons 17:30 onwards and a short meditation in the evenings just before bed. This works again very well for my kapha constitution.

Try to establish your type, vata, pitta or kapha and arrange your meditation and yoga asana according to that.

[tina]

oh Padara i am also a Kapha, ur routine seems nice , no copyright then I will follow u. just Joking

[AnahataAnanda]

Namaste Pandara,
thank you for your reply. Really great to hear from you again!!
I am predominantly a Pitta but also have alot of Vata elements. Like i said, ive been practicing every morning for years now and it hasnt been till just recently that i cannot imagine anything solar in the morning. Its not that im tired but its just the spiritual place im in. The problem im having with myself right now is that im afraid to break out of that consistent morning practice. How long do you meditate in the mornings? What about the evenings? Im pretty sure my whole being is really needing meditation but Im wondering if perhaps its just as good to do a more meditative practice (prana yoga) in the morning or if its really essential to sit down for a meditation everyday. Many Blessings

[Pandara]

Originally Posted by AnahataAnanda

The problem im having with myself right now is that im afraid to break out of that consistent morning practice. How long do you meditate in the mornings? What about the evenings? Im pretty sure my whole being is really needing meditation but Im wondering if perhaps its just as good to do a more meditative practice (prana yoga) in the morning or if its really essential to sit down for a meditation everyday. Many Blessings

Hi,

Afraid or just so use to the comfort of that practice that you don't feel like breaking the pattern? My meditation in the mornings usually is about 45 - 60 minutes and I am doing this now for the past 12 years so I am so established in that that when I skip a morning it feels as if I am partially naked for the day. At night I do a short meditation, it is basically more of a sadhana where I bless my night and people who might need it and give praise and thanks for the day that has passed. And then a few rounds of breathing and a visualisation.

Listen to your whole being it knows best and make the changes you need to take you deeper and further on your path.

[InnerAthlete]

I don't believe yoga is possible without meditation. Or let me soften that and say that it seems Yoga is incredibly challenging in the absence of meditation.

If one defines yoga even in its most basic definition (etymological) how can one create union with or yoke something that they are not actually engaging?

[Simone]

For me, the yoga is about getting to a place where i can meditate...i meditate every morning at 7:30 am - feel free to join me in the ethers (we actually have an online centre - meditationvillage.ca where we teach and practice) and try to do some yoga first as i find it difficult to meditate without the yoga.

I also feel like i want to different yoga practices - a gentle stretchy practice in the morning and a more rigorous afternoon practice to get me out of my head so to speak.
Thanks,
Simone

[InnerAthlete]

Hi Simone,

are you referring to asana when you say "yoga"?

[Simone]

Hi,
thank you for the clarification - i have got into this bad habit of referring to asana as yoga - yes absolutely, asana.
Thanks,
Simone

[Prascina]

Isn't meditation continuous? The practice of dharana!!

[Xamilo]

The only answer to your question lies in you...

How do you feel? Have you seen an improvement in changing your routine? Have you seen a decrease in concentration, your daily energy etc?

The best way to know if it works, is by trying yourself. If it doesn't work, go back to your old discipline, or try something new. If it works, well, you have found a positive answer to your question!

"Believe nothing, no matter where you read it, or who said it, no matter if I have said it, unless it agrees with your own reason and your own common sense." Buddha

[slythyr]

I do aerobic muscle toning exercises in the morning (situps, pushups, squats,those sorts of things). I find it is better to be active and get the blood flowing in the morning, which I follow with a few minutes of quiet.
Then I balance that with the peacefulness of contemplation and the muscular chi-focus of asanas in the afternoon.

I find that the morning is not the best time for asanas or contemplation.
The body and mind are far better at focus when fully awake.

However, different approaches work for different people.